Ben Schmidt picked up three shots in his closing three holes to tie home favourite Wenyi Ding for the second-round lead at the Hangzhou Open.
Competing at the West Lake International Golf and Country Club, Schmidt trailed Ding by three shots with just three holes to go but managed a remarkable finish to close the gap at the halfway stage.
The Englishman birdied the tough par-three 16th and then, with the pressure mounting, eagled the par-five 17th, carding a five-under-par round of 66 to catch Ding at 11 under par.
“I finished off the last three holes very strongly which was good,” Schmidt said.
“Hole 16 was a tough par-three and it was nice to make a 25-foot birdie putt there. I hit a good drive down 17 and figured if I could just do that, I might have a chance.”
Schmidt’s eagle on 17 was a key moment, and he explained his thought process: “It’s not often you get an eagle but the par-five here will reward you if you hit good shots. I figured if I could hit a good drive down the fairway, it will get me a shot in.
I had a tricky downhill eight-foot putt but I managed to hole it and I’m pretty pleased with myself for that.”
Currently 46th on the Road to Mallorca Rankings and fresh off a fourth-place finish in the Hainan Open, Schmidt knows how crucial this week is to secure his place in the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final supported by The R&A in two weeks’ time.
“There’s a lot on the line and lots to think about,” he added. “But I’m trying to take the focus away from that and play my own game. I’m tied for the lead and I couldn’t be happier right now.”
Schmidt is excited to play alongside Ding, winner of the 2024 Global Amateur Pathway, with the expectation of a large crowd following them on moving day.
“It’ll be nice to have a game in with Ding,” he said. “I’ve heard a lot about him and I’m looking forward to playing together with him and it should be a good day. The pressure’s going to be a little bit more on him with the home support.”
Overnight leader Conor Purcell from Ireland is just one shot off the pace, tied for third with Norwegian Kristoffer Reitan. Spaniards Joel Moscatel and Angel Ayora, along with Czech Gordan Brixi, sit one shot further back in fifth place.
Round three begins at 6:30 am local time, with Schmidt, Ding, and Purcell teeing off at 10:30 am.
